Jonathan Edwards was famous for his “resolved” statements. But, on the “vow” end of things, Solomon warns us about making vows we don’t keep: “It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay” (Ecclesiastes 5:5, ESV).
James 4:13-15 admonishes us:
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 1yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
A resolution should not be a vow or an assumption, but simply the expression of an intent and/or a goal. Yet how helpful are they? From what I understand, they help some or they help for a while. But every now and then you hear about a long term adjustment that lasts (we all long for those). In the midst of all this is the Christians quest (aided by the Spirit) toward sanctification and changes the Lord makes in our lives. So what are your thoughts about resolutions, or perhaps some resolutions you want to share? What are your views about change in the Christian life and perhaps how those views have changed over the years? Your thoughts appreciated.
Discussion
NewDon't wait
My thoughts are that if something is important enough that I want to make a change in my life, then I have no reason to wait until the new year to do it. I figure if I wait to start until the new year, then it really isn't that important to me anyway, so why do it? I have made many changes in my life, but if I decide they are important, then I do them ASAP.
If on the other hand, you are trying to encourage others to make changes along with you, then I can see the benefit of having a start date to work together on. The new year can be a great time for that.
NewWhat JD says
I resolved to be a better worker as I realized that my productivity wasn't what I wanted it to be. I resolved to lose weight and get in better shape when my lipids panel came back a bit worse than I wanted, and my atorvastatin dosage was increased. I've resolved to mix up my Bible study because I felt my usual formula (starting in Genesis and reading straight through to Revelation) was getting stale.
But starting it in January? No, when we need to make a change, we ought to do it right then and there. Delaying the start, as JD notes, just betrays an unwillingness to make the changes. That's probably a big part of why January resolutions fail.
Side note; when I went to the health club this morning for a workout, I was struck by how full the parking lot was, but how relatively empty the floor was. Perhaps many people were working out in the hot tub or sauna?
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.